Crash into Auburn hydrant costs town 580,000 gallons

Friday

Nov 16, 2012 at 6:00 AMNov 16, 2012 at 6:13 AM

A Leominster man will be summoned to Worcester Central District Court on drunken driving charges after his car allegedly hit a fire hydrant on Vine Street Tuesday, causing a massive loss of water, police said.

Officers got a report of the accident just before 6 a.m. They found the car had smashed into the fire hydrant, but the driver was not in sight, Detective Sgt. Jeffrey Lourie said.

Concerned the driver might be injured, officers began a search.

Officer James D. Ljunggren and his dog, Axel, scoured the area. Police officers found a man they believe to be the driver about a mile away, hiding behind a home on Bryn Mawr Avenue, the sergeant said.

They identified him as 20-year-old Timothy M. Weagle of Leominster. He had injuries and was taken to a Worcester hospital.